(Spanish flu)

I’ve often heard new influenza if I turn the TV on.
It is natural to be careful because 480,000 people died in Japan, and more than 40 million people in the world died of Spanish flu 92 years ago. Though it was said the Spanish flu, information was from Spain. It was occurred actually in Chicago.
As for this, the first wave seemed gradual infection with weak toxicity, the second wave seemed to change into strong toxicity in autumn and spread out in the world, the third wave seemed to give a big damage in Japan next spring. A lot of books about this are published and raise us up fear and anxiety. I’m wondering how many people still wash their hands and gargle.

There is a big difference between 91 years ago and now in the medical treatment information and the hygiene. I don’t think there will be a big damage optimistically, but false security is the greatest enemy.
There was a report which a high school student not having a passage experience in foreign countries in Kobe was infected new influenza since yesterday. And the influence has begun to appear in the life of the people who lives there. For instance, the Kobe festival held as a big event was cancelled.

(A great lecture)

The study meeting about “New influenza” was held for three hours in Hokushin-kai, acupuncture group, which I belong to the other day.
The scale is dropping down from the eye. The character of this sickness, the mechanism, and the starts from the medical history of the epidemic are lectured by going back to several thousand years ago.
Moreover, there is the opinion by the standpoint of meteorology, the prevention and measures, etc. lectured. I want the people who are wholly-devoted on the Western medical take this lecture.

The same disease has a different influence on the progress and the severity of symptoms by the person (constitution) (person cause), season and time (time cause), land (land cause). I am convinced that a great law is found, and it would be better to be able to contribute to the measures and prevention if these elements are researched with the research of the virus.
All members do not die even the virus of strong toxicity.
One in four people will catch new influenza, but three people don’t. Why are there a person who catches or not. There is the theory of The Oriental medicine in this.

(A steady prevention without fear is valuable.)

Anyway, it is the time for each to concentrate on prevention now.
If it spreads our all over the world, it is too late.
First of all, wash your hands (15 seconds or more) and gargle (never use the medicine such as Isojin) thoroughly.
And also it is called heat-epidemic (Uneki-byo) which is characteristic of heat. You should be careful if you have some heat on your body.

Please check these item if you have heat or not.

1. I like cold and soda beverage much.
1. I like eating meat.
1. Shortage of vegetables
1. I am constipated.
1. I’m not released from the stress.
1. I hardly do sports.
1. I smoke a cigarette.
1. Urine and feces are dark color and smell is stinky.

Such a person above-mentioned saves the heat inside the body easily. Or in the Oriental medicine, we think so. AS for this reason, I want you to take a lot of vegetables and pay attention to the above-mentioned items.
It is important not to accumulate heat (the temperature is distinguished) inside the body anyway.
The people who enter this clinic have to wash hands, gargles and disinfection thoroughly before the very beginning of the new influenza. The lots of garlic are hanging between the waiting room and the examination room.
The place where garlic hanged in front of the classroom in the elementary school had no person with influenza was reported several years ago.

(Defending power (Eki) is protected by willpower.)

It is important to decide not to be infected.
To protect your body called Eki in Oriental medicine exists.
The person who is steady of this defending power (Eki) prevents from the outside.
There is a word called “Shiki-shin-fu-ni” in Buddhism. The color (environment) and the mind (spirit) are the same place. It is an inseparable relation, and connects in the basis.
Global warming is caused in the environmental destruction and the disruption of nature, and hunger arises from Global warming in a lot of countries. The ambassador Agnes Zhang of Unicef Association of Japan went to the Sahel zone of West African, and saw there. As the cow-boy doesn’t eat anything, he drinks the yellow impure water that a domestic animal hircine etc. drinks naturally. It is a reality that 10,000 children or more are working at a scorching mine where is 45 degrees. It is said that the climatic variation will influence it by Global warming in the background.
The unknown mutating virus will spread out. I cannot help thinking how large the disorder of the human spirit is. It is based on the principle of “the environment and spirit are the same”.
It is now the time each of us has to think what the most important is.
Moreover, I think it is the time when we watch the inside of the human through the great nature.

(Warm-hearted cherry blossoms)

Cherry blossoms in full bloom heal and warm up our hearts, especially when we feel down. As I passed under them today, I spontaneously uttered, “All of you are splendid doctors!” I cannot help mentioning especially the beautiful row of cherry trees near the
Kwansei Gakuin University campus in Nishinomiya.
It was recently introduced on TV that a Mr. Hayashi had planted the saplings about 40 years ago, which cost him a lot. So, these cherry trees tell us about Mr. Hayashi’s warm heart. I’m sure that is why these cherry trees strike a chord in our hearts.

(Mutual trust and warm heart)
I remember hearing somebody say some years ago, “Why do cherry blossoms bloom? It’s not only because of the arrival of the right season. Flowers bloom because they want to bloom and there are people who want them to bloom. Blooming comes from the meeting of hearts between the watched and the watchers.” From these words, I found the source of the Japanese heart that loves cherry trees. And it tells us about the relationship between patients and doctors, too. Patients want to get well and doctors want to help them get well. This mutual meeting of mind and heart between patients and doctors is the base of the healing process of any health problems. What would happen if this relationship were lost? Even the best medicines or cutting-edge medical technologies would lose their effect, and even curable diseases would not be cured. It should be added that language has a great influence on our heart and mind.

(Delicate balance)
These days I have come to realize the delicate balance of feelings between patient (who wants to be cured) and therapist (whose job it is to help to cure). Patients should not be too “dependent” on therapists; nor should the therapists be obsessed with their profession of “curing.” Curing comes from both sides. The balance between the two will be lost if either side gets obsessed with their own desires. It is born of the determination of the therapist to “cure” and the strong will of the patient to get well. Unfortunately, however, it is very difficult to expect this positive mindset, especially among patients who are an anorectic, excessive eater, sufferer of depression or severe victim of atopy. In this way, our mind plays big roles in causing or healing various medical problems. To be sure, those who suffer from sickness must learn patience in order to successfully cope with the problem. But, from the viewpoint of those who are on the curing side, stronger patience is required of them than of patients.

(My mother’s patience)
My late mother was an active therapist in the field of acupuncture and moxibustion for five decades. Actually, she was a rather impatient and quick-tempered person in general household work. But when it came to attending to her patients, she was an amazingly different person with tremendous patience. She even made us wonder which person was attending to which. Thus, the more serious the case is, the better care of health is required on both sides.
Attending only to the physical side of the patient demands nothing very complex. But the ability to deal with the physical and mental sides of the patient equally well is called for on the part of the therapist. If the therapist lacks this ability, the patient can hardly expect to be successfully cured. In this respect, I’m learning much from facing various patients, especially ones fighting against a serious case. Strong spiritual power is absolutely important to be a successful therapist. In other words, strong mental power is essential to achieve a victory over health problems. In this sense, my mother was an absolute winner against her own disease.

I would like to say to the people who have fought and died of sickness and also to those who are still struggling that they should feel proud of their hard experience, because this precious experience enables them to soothe the heart and mind of the people around them just like the lively cherry blossoms that have endured and prevailed over the severity of the cold winter.

Samurai Japan’s victory of yesterday moved the whole nation with resounding joy and excitement. What an accomplishment, indeed! Since my Nara workshop was closed for the day, I was allowed to root for the Japanese team. I watched the nail-biting game under strong pressure myself. Each player fought under insurmountable pressure and our team eventually beat the team of the Republic of Korea.

When the whole game came to an end, I wondered what had helped the Japanese team cope successfully with the pressure. To be sure, it was of course the talent of each individual player, but there was something more. It was their spirit of unity and perseverance. Mr. Hara, the manager of the team, said at the press interview, “We won with the Japanese power, which means the power of spirit and perseverance.” The team took advantage of the Oriental spirit.

Many players, including Matsuzaka, complimented each other for the fine jobs done by each. This was a remarkably commendable attitude, because, all of them being top-notch players, they could have succumbed to more egocentric self-esteem. This was not seen or felt in the victory of the team. They fought for the victory of Japan. Each of them was dedicated to the dream of reinvigorating the whole nation. Their comments reflected their common dreams.

Ichiro, above all, said something that impressed me: “Personally, I should say that this made me experience an inconceivable hardship and severity of pain.” He handled many surprisingly crucial situations successfully and burned unforgettable performances of a top-notch professional player into our hearts and minds. His absolute dedication to baseball is unrivaled.

As I said sometime ago, in order to sustain mental stability, Ichiro kept eating for seven long years exactly the same type and amount of lunch consisting of only vegetable curry prepared by his wife. He knew that eating and the state of mentality are inseparable. Eating the same kind and amount of food for such a long time day after day must be extremely difficult, but it was his way of building up his power of overcoming mental pressure.

Watching the historic baseball game, I realized that both national and individual challenges can be successfully coped with by means of spiritual unity and perseverance. The same can be said about fighting against sickness as well. Again, watching the unforgettable game strengthened my belief in the boundless power of our souls like the one evidenced by the players of WBC, the power that seeks to fight for the happiness of all people and help their vitality to surmount any difficult circumstances and environments.

Common sense being re-evaluated:
Not long ago, NHK presented a documentary program centering on re-evaluation of the efficacy of drugs against depressive psychosis. The program threw light on the fact that reduction of drug dose helps the recovery. A patient began with three tablets a day, but because they were not efficacious enough, the doctor increased the number of the tablets to 19 per day. As a result, the patient suddenly lost consciousness and fell. Flustered at it, the doctor cut down the dose and, as a result, the patient’s depression became less serious, and he even got back to his workplace.
A visitor came to consult a doctor at a hospital, complaining about a severe headache. Before asking questions, the doctor gave an injection to the patient and prescribed four different drugs.
These instances made me think that the current medical treatment procedure needs a fundamental re-evaluation and reconsideration. One doctor who sat as a panelist on the program openly wondered if the current medicine existed for the good of the patient or simply as quick measures to make money.

From drugs to counseling:
In the UK, it is said, people who have a health problem seek psychotherapy before asking for medicines in general. The patient is advised to think and detect the cause that brought about the depression. Through their conversation, the patient is made to face his/her negative trend of thought that underlies the problem. The British government invests an equivalent of 30 billion yen to foster capable psychotherapists, thus keeping doors open for people who have a psychological problem to consult about. The rate of relapses is much lower among those who benefit from consulting a specialist than among those who concentrate on seeking the efficacy of drugs only (27% vs. 44%).

Excessive tension:
A number of sufferers of depressive psychosis come to my clinic, their ages ranging widely from high school students to grown-ups. Some of them are not patients themselves but have somebody in their family suffering from manic-depressive psychosis. As family members, these people suffer no less than the sufferers themselves. Thus, no small number of people are suffering from not only depression but other kinds of psychiatric problems. Many of those who come to my clinic suffer from such mental problems as obsessional neurosis or claustrophobia as well, obsessed with cleanliness or fear of being placed in a place out of which they cannot get out at will, such as traveling on a limited express train.

These people unexceptionally are spending most of their time in an environment of excessive tension such as attending to sensitive work from day to day or having no experience of being commended either by their boss or parents. These are environments in which they have no satisfaction at all. Thus, being praised or recognized by others is an essential condition for relaxation, which in effect brings about self-confidence and trust in one’s own capability. Unfortunately, however, the fact is that faultfinding seems to be the sole business in politics and in the mass media today.

Guard against excessive emotions and use dialogue
Most of the people who I attend to are the victims of continued tension. Oriental medical terminology for this condition is Shichijo Fuwa, literally meaning excessive emotions doing harm in seven areas: excessive anger harms the liver, excessive negative thought harms the spleen, excessive sorrow harms the lungs, and excessive fear harms the kidneys, etc. Thus, sustained excessive emotions break the physical and mental balance in our bodily functions.
Hokushin-kai, of which I am a member, is an association of acupuncturists. Its major principle is to hold an interview with those who come to consult the first time they visit. This interview takes 30 minutes to an hour, discussing the visitors’ living habit including their eating pattern. Such an interview plays a very important role in psychotherapy in the UK. Unfortunately, however, consulting a specialist in Japan costs a lot, the average rate being 10 to 20 thousand yen. The patient, therefore, has no other alternative than depending on medicines, while ironically cutting down the amount of the medicine is said to improve the condition.
To cope with the increasing psychiatric cases and other health problems, my acupuncture/moxibustion clinic will keep trying to sincerely listen to the voice of patients and to have continued dialogue with them, aiming at satisfactory recovery of their health.

(High temperature and allergy)

There is a change in the temperature of 10℃ or more every week this February. The patients who have various symptoms of allergy, influenza and the cold as well increase rapidly.
There are many patients coming to the clinic; suffered from the hay fever and conjunctivitis, red round the eyes, itchy in the face.
In the Oriental medicine, environment and condition of health are inseparable and related with living conditions, eating habits, and the mental status. I’m sure that especially the season and the climatic change influence the human body

(Allergy and liver tree)

In the Oriental medicine, the allergy symptom on eyes and noses like above-mentioned which happens in spring is explained as “liver tree”.
Liver tree expresses that the character of the liver expands and emanates.
The tree and plant grow and go up all together in spring if it gets warm. What is called is a bud.
The qi of man’s liver rises up and up too along with when temperature changes and qi of nature rises up.
A person who is busy and a lot of stress, not able to loosen the tension get the qi of liver higher than a neck. The liver tree comes at the same time in spring, the qi of liver is going up and up. That is why many symptoms come out the head and face.
Moreover, it is still cold in February when is the first day of spring, and gets feet cold. The liver tree moves much and the heat makes various allergy symptoms worse and worse.
This is the allergic foundation in the way of the Oriental medicine briefly.

(A Person who becomes an allergy and a person who doesn’t)

However, why are there two types a person who becomes allergy and doesn’t even if he/she is too busy?
The problem depends on the individual, I think.
First of all, atopy, hay fever and asthma are related with the warehouse of lungs that take part in the skin and the mucous membrane.
The qi of liver excited is also related with the warehouse of liver naturally.
The warehouse of kidney below becomes empty by the qi of liver rising up. The warehouse of kidney relates too.
Especially this warehouse of kidney is very important according to the relation between the kidney moisture and the liver tree.
The kidney moisture grows the liver tree. This is called the kidney shadow. A person who is aged and has a weak kidney can’t make the liver tree grow because of a lack of adequate fluids.
This moisture of kidney promotes the less qi of liver and a lack of moisture makes the qi of liver full.

(Check it yourself.)

The words of the Oriental medicine are quite difficult for you.
Please check the presence of weakening of “Warehouse of lungs”, “Warehouse of the liver”, and “Warehouse of kidney” that relates especially to the allergy.

1. I often get irritated without any reason.
2. The tip of the tongue is red.
3. There are red spots on the tip of the tongue.
4. There is itchy spot or pricking pain on my head (even shampoo)
5. I have dry eyes.
6. Eyes are often congested.
7. I get stomatitis easily.
8. I have a temporomandibular arthrosis.
9. I get constipated.
10. I have an unbalanced eating and an overeating tendency. (There are a lot of snacks, the oil food, and meat.
11. I have a dry skin.
12. I have a delicate skin.
13. I catch a cold easily.
14. My feet are cold.
15. I go to toilet many times, at night or the urine leakages.
16. I feel waist heavy.
17. I have an anemia tendency.
18. I hardly do sports.

The person who has six items 1/3 or more in the above-mentioned items; you may pay more attention to the allergy.
Please try to make your skin stronger by rubbing with a dry towel (lungs), stroll and do sports to loosen your tension (liver), and not to take salinity and cold stuff (kidney).